pressure testing for head gasket failure

1. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

   #1 31st March 2009, 18:48

   Is a pressure test the best way to test for a knackard head gasket?
2. PETE-VTR Established Member Joined: Aug 2008 york/ north yorkshire Posts: 1953

   #2 31st March 2009, 18:49

   what makes you think its failed?
3. beau_4076 Infrequent Poster Joined: Feb 2009 southend on sea, essex Posts: 235 maserati gt/pug 307/cinq sport turbo/pulsar gtir

   #3 31st March 2009, 18:51

   what is your problem, why do you think its gone?
   
   a test called a 'block test' or 'sniff test' is pretty good.
4. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

   #4 31st March 2009, 18:57

   mayo on the oil cap. car has warranty. theyve pressure tested it flushed it new oil filter. went down to pick it up today poked my finger in the rocker cover got mayo. the car has never over heated.told them to ramm it and get it fixed i thought sniff test was the way togo.
5. beau_4076 Infrequent Poster Joined: Feb 2009 southend on sea, essex Posts: 235 maserati gt/pug 307/cinq sport turbo/pulsar gtir

   #5 31st March 2009, 18:58

   how much are we talking? lots of mayo or very little
   
   is the coolant cap clean?
6. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

   #6 31st March 2009, 19:01

   A fair bit. coolent cap is clean. but when i took it down last week the coolent was dark brown.
7. beau_4076 Infrequent Poster Joined: Feb 2009 southend on sea, essex Posts: 235 maserati gt/pug 307/cinq sport turbo/pulsar gtir

   #7 31st March 2009, 19:04

   doesnt sound good, though, had a saxo 1.4 with head gasket gone before, oil/water mixing and sniff test did not show it up, it was deffo gone cos i changed it.
8. jinx Frequent Poster Joined: Jun 2008 Staffordshire Posts: 745 Saxo - Furio 1.4

   #8 31st March 2009, 19:04

   Same as what iv got, still got to give it a service tho
9. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

   #9 31st March 2009, 19:12

   its not over heating which i thought it would. the temp neddle is abit up and down i noticed but never goes much over 1/2.
10. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

    #10 31st March 2009, 19:30

    ment to add they pressure tested it for 30 mins with no change in pressure
11. user_16747 Banned Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 4328

    #11 31st March 2009, 19:51

    Is it used for lot of short journeys?
    My ax gt did this,but gasket was fine.
    Was flushd out etc but residue in the breather system wasnt cleand out so it soon came back.
    Flushd it again myself and took off all the breather hoses and cleaned them out.:-)
    job was a goodun till i found the rust in the sill
12. Gabbastard Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Dec 2002 United Kingdom Posts: 8390

    #12 31st March 2009, 20:05

    Pressure test wouldnt show up if it had only blown between an oil and coolant gallery, the mayo comes from the two mixing.

    1 user thanked this post: tartanflyer
13. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

    #13 31st March 2009, 20:16

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gabbastard Pressure test wouldnt show up if it had only blown between an oil and coolant gallery, the mayo comes from the two mixing.

    i thought the clowns would have sniff tested it.
14. dynebaruk Established Member Joined: Apr 2008 Bridgend Posts: 1098 Golf GTI 1.8 turbo

    #14 31st March 2009, 21:50

    My headgasket went just before christmas, tried a compression test and it came up fine.
    
    Changed the headgasket anyway, not had a problem since.
15. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

    #15 31st March 2009, 22:36

    don't know why they didn't just do sniff test!! the cars been laid up for a week now. i'm glad I've got warranty I'm 100% sure the gasket is f*cked.
16. williamsvts Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Feb 2006 northumberland Posts: 7693 pulsar gtir, mk4 astra sxi

    #16 1st April 2009, 09:32

    if its new and has plenty warranty and they are being cunts. just thrash the tits off it till the head gasket actually fucks, keep driving and warp the head and block meaning you need a new engine. will will teach them to be useless.
    + you'll get a new engine.
17. lewza Frequent Poster Joined: Jan 2009 Birmingham Posts: 503 Saxo VTR

    #17 1st April 2009, 11:13

    The mayo stuff could be from water vapour, however, if its often under the cap id go with headgasket.
    Are you getting white smoke out exhaust?
18. tartanflyer Infrequent Poster Joined: Jul 2008 crieff perthshire Posts: 158 saxo vtr 51

    #18 1st April 2009, 12:27

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by williamsvts if its new and has plenty warranty and they are being cunts. just thrash the tits off it till the head gasket actually fucks, keep driving and warp the head and block meaning you need a new engine. will will teach them to be useless. + you'll get a new engine.

    thats what my old boy said todo
19. dazzey37 Newbie Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 2

    #19 15th April 2009, 17:38

    been told my head gasket as gone tday on a vtr
20. gixxa Established Member Joined: Feb 2007 manchester Posts: 1704 vtr turbo

    #20 15th April 2009, 18:08

    what happened with this in the end